Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Farmington, NM and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,273 in Farmington, NM, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Farmington, NM outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

158

Cost of Living Index in Farmington, NM
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Farmington, NM Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Farmington, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$3,273

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Farmington, NM and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Farmington, NM and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,273 in Farmington, NM versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Farmington, NM $3,273
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,363 in Farmington, NM versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Farmington, NM $4,363
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,453 in Farmington, NM versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Farmington, NM $5,453
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Farmington, NM is roughly 21% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Farmington, NM 142% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.90 $19.90

$20.63 $20.63

-3.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.34 $49.34

$84.6 $84.6

-41.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 $12.01

$12.07 $12.07

-0.50%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$5.48 $5.48

10.58%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.80 $3.80

-36.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.47 $2.47

-32.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$8.05 $8.05

-1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.34 $13.34

$8.88 $8.88

50.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.11 $1.11

-11.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.72 $3.72

-8.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.37 $3.37

31.45%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.32 $4.32

-4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.31 $7.31

$13.13 $13.13

-44.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$14.15 $14.15

-7.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.86 $16.86

$16.33 $16.33

3.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$4.55 $4.55

-33.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.46 $1.46

13.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$4.71 $4.71

-10.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$4.15 $4.15

15.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.58 $2.58

9.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.35 $2.35

23.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.77 $1.77

22.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.14 $2.14

7.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.21 $10.21

$10.10 $10.10

1.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.82 $2.82

-25.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.44 $3.44

-8.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.54 $1.54

31.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.47 $29.47

$40.99 $40.99

-28.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.80 $2.80

-2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.60 $1.60

22.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 $27.39

$34.34 $34.34

-20.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$0.94 $0.94

17.02%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$31.1K $31.1K

$34.0K $34.0K

-8.48%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.8K $24.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

-7.46%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$397 $397

$223 $223

78.43%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$57.7 $57.7

$58.9 $58.9

-2.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$115 $115

$70.6 $70.6

62.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 $42.26

$57.7 $57.7

-26.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.99 $12.99

$14.26 $14.26

-8.91%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,444 $1,444

$1,511 $1,511

-4.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K $21.4K

$20.9K $20.9K

2.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 $53.6

$51.3 $51.3

4.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.64 $40.64

$44.17 $44.17

-7.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 $87.2

$87.0 $87.0

0.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$104 $104

10.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 $1,715

$1,940 $1,940

-11.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 $1,721

$1,316 $1,316

30.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 $2,577

$3,664 $3,664

-29.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,472 $2,472

$2,565 $2,565

-3.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,147 $2,147

$7,354 $7,354

-70.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,140 $2,140

$3,129 $3,129

-31.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,129 $7,129

$5,286 $5,286

34.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.79

-3.24%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Farmington, NM: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Farmington, NM

$1.7K 52.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 23.5% $405

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Farmington, NM

$570 17.4%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 38.2% $218

Groceries & Markets

Farmington, NM

$379 11.6%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 7% $27

Eating Out

Farmington, NM

$351 10.7%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 0.1% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Farmington, NM

$134 4.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 3.5% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Farmington, NM

$68 2.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 26.4% $18

Getting Around

Farmington, NM

$50 1.5%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 15.6% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,715 in Farmington, NM and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Farmington, NM pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Farmington, NM vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $406 per month, with Farmington, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Farmington, NM

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:07 9:07 PM

22:07 10:07 PM

1 h ahead of Farmington, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,207

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Farmington, NM Austin, TX 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Farmington, NM
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Farmington, NM vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Farmington, NM. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Farmington, NM, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,715 in Farmington, NM versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,273 per month in Farmington, NM versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 39% less than in Farmington, NM. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Farmington, NM. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.